Shadows and Light - part 2
by Glitch Girl

Alarms went off in Freedom Fortress all the time. Such was the curse of superherodom.

There was the "Local Energy-X Detection" alarm, the "Minor Catastrophe" alarm, the "Major Catastrophe" alarm, the "Security Breech" alarm, the "Criminal Escape In Progress" alarm, the "Police Emergency" alarm, the "Natural Disaster" alarm, the "Potentially Dangerous Experiment Commencing" alarm, the smoke alarm (usually when El Diablo was attempting to cook), and the much-maligned 2 a.m. "World-Threatening Galactic-Level Mega-Disaster" alarm.

This was the first time, however, that any of the Freedom Force had heard the alarm that was sounding right now.

"By the Goddess!" said Alche-Miss as she rushed into the control room. "What is goin' on now?" She could see that the Ant and Mentor were already trying to make sense of the complex readings from the many monitors and machines.

"It is just as I feared" said Mentor.

Alche-Miss sighed. It seemed like he always said that. He was a worse worrier than her grandmother. "What is 'just as you feared'?" she pressed.

"This machine has detected a concentration of unstable Energy-X..."

"Well, that's hardly ever goodI know, but-"

"But it's OUTSIDE Patriot City," the Ant finished. "It's not even in the same state!"

"Outside... I thought all that Energy-X only landed 'round here!"

"So did we," the red-clad hero mumbled into his mask.

Mentor tore himself away from the viewscreens. "Alche-Miss, Ant... We must go an assess the situation as soon as possible," he announced. "I shall ready the Freedom Flyer!"

"Um, Okay," said Alche-Miss to his retreating back. "So... where ARE we goin' bug boy?"

"Mmmm... Porta Roma, Florida from the look of it."

Alche-Miss perked up. "Well now, this might be a right nice mission after all," she said, thinking about the summer she spent on the beach with her family when she was just a little girl.

"I know," said the Ant. She could tell he was grinning under his mask. "I've always wanted to see the Space Center and the University. Porta Roma's supposed to be one of the best, you know."

Alche-Miss shrugged to herself. To each his own.

Doctor Denton Monneka treated everybody the same.

That is... he treated them with contempt.

True, he was he was brilliant, easily one of the top percentile in the country. His theories on a variety of scientific method were often considered innovative and even revolutionary. Given enough time, he'd likely come up with some amazing discovery that would change the way people live.

The problem was, he knew it. Every bit of it, every word of encouragement, every well-received report, every awed-at experiment, all went to feed his massive ego. Over the years, it had grown to something the size of a planet (figuratively of course) to the point where he honestly thought himself better than nearly everyone and wouldn't hesitate to point out this fact given the slightest provocation.

The University of Porta Roma had been ecstatic when he joined their faculty, but they learned quickly not to invite him to any social gatherings, especially ones where grants or donations were involved.

Denton had worked there for years, the terror of the College of Sciences, each year his face growing more severe and humorless, his slicked back white hair growing more thin. And yet, even after all these years, he still managed to periodically shock the world of science with a new theory or discovery.

What he didn't tell them was more often than not these days, he stole them.

Occasionally, he'd get a student that, in his opinion, was closer to his intellectual level than most, and sometimes that student would have ideas that were so wild as to be close to science fiction. But sometime... sometimes without realizing it, they'd be on the right track, like his latest intern (even if she was a girl). Of course, it took someone of HIS brilliant mind to recognize these embryotic ideas, so who better to develop it than himself? Besides, he rationalized, this was his way of reminding the world that it should respect him since he was better than the rest of the rabble that populated the planet. There had been a few close calls, but when it came down to his word against theirs, he could put on a very convincing performance.

But after so long, he was beginning to bore of the university life. Retirement was looking more and more inviting with every passing day except for the question of money: if he was going to retire, he was going to live well. He deserved it.

Fate must have agreed, he concluded, the day the canister arrived for analysis. The circumstances it came to be in the Porta Roma science offices was still a little unclear, but he didn't let that worry him. He'd heard something about this through write-ups about the events in Patriot City in the papers and science journals. This was a new form of energy, a very powerful one.

The type of thing that someone would pay a king's ransom for.

It didn't take much to reroute it to his labs, and as soon as it was in his possession, he carefully sought out a buyer. As he waited for a response to his queries, he attempted to analyze the strange container but with little success. His instruments could tell him little about the contents from the container's outside, and he wasn't fool enough to open it if it turned out to be unstable.

Before long he was contacted by a buyer who represented an "interested party". Monneka only got to speak with the buyer's representative, as the buyer was "otherwise indisposed" but there was no question that both the buyer and the representative were communists. Monneka didn't care. As long as he got paid in cash, it didn't matter who got the energy canister.

Everything had gone perfectly.

...up until thirty seconds ago.

Shortly after the explosion, Doctor Denton Monneka was doubled-over on the floor as his office lay around him in ruins. It felt like all his insides were trying squirm their way out. And he meant ALL his insides: muscles, bones, tendons, organs... everything was shifting around as if it were independantly alive. He'd heard that the strange energy had unpredictable effects on humans, but this... This was a horrible feeling unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

For the first time in his life he needed HELP!

He reached his hand out in hopes of dragging himself outside, but instead of his familiar fingers, he saw a dark-red taloned hand that glowed with black fire. As he recoiled, so did it, and only then did he realize that it was his own hand but it was... it was so different.

As he stared at it, he could see the muscles underneath shifting around under the now leathery skin just like he could feel them doing all over his body. It was on fire too, but... the fire was all wrong. The flames were so red they were almost black and though he could feel the intense heat, it wasn't painful. In fact, it almost felt... natural.

There was a new sensation now, a sensation of... energy? Strength? He couldn't begin to describe it. Whatever it was, it was growing and spreading through his frame and it was absolutely amazing, almost like being drunk...

No, it was the opposite. Everything was sharper now, sights, sounds, scents, sensations... they all crowded in on his brain. There wasn't a word to describe the overwhelming input his mind was receiving.

"Incredible..." he gasped in a voice that wasn't his own. His voice could NEVER go that deep.

He staggered up on unsteady legs, barely aware that they bend oddly as they tried to decide if they should be normal legs or cloven hooves. He grasped a wooden beam for support, and as he did, it ignited from his touch and the flames began to spread quickly through the wrecked office as if they were alive.

Behind him, he heard a gasp. He turned and looked down.

It was the girl, the stupid little intern that interrupted his deal with Leninski. She was on the floor staring up at him with a look of horror on her face, glowing in the firelight. He wondered why she didn't run away, until he realized that her legs were pinned under a metal beam that had fallen from the ceiling.

He wondered what he must look like to inspire such a look.

His currently over-stimulated mind knew she had been responsible for his botched deal, but... but the deal didn't seem that important any more. This was... this was better. This was POWER, more power than he could have ever had the other way, and he had her to thank for it.

Then again, he could think of a good reason why he shouldn't kill her right now anyway. He never liked her much and her coffee always tasted like mud. This might even be fun.

He smiled as he started towards her, watching her shrink from him, enjoying her fear. Then suddenly, he dropped to the ground again as his back writhed like a bubbling tar pit. He felt something strain against the already tight shirt and coat until it ripped the fabric apart and extended out behind him.

Wings, he thought, now there's a nice surprise.

He opened his eyes again. Most of the writhing sensation in his body had stopped, even if the flames hadn't.

On the floor in front of him was the nameplate that used to be on his desk, reading "Dr D. Monneka". He thought about the words as he glanced at himself, briefly admiring his talons.

Destiny was a funny thing; it can be staring you in the face for decade and you'd never even see it.

The groan of weakened masonry caught tore his attention away from himself. Between the explosion and the fire, the ceiling had taken a beating far more than it was ever designed for. No doubt it would collapse at any time now. As much as he'd like to stay and watch it crush the girl, he had a new body to try out. No sense in taking the chance of it getting crushed too until he knew for sure what it could do.

Doctor Monneka strood up on his cloven hooves (apparently his body had opted for the more exotic leg choice in the end) and was about to duck through the doorway when he realized he had more company.

They were all standing outside the door, or where the door would have been if it wasn't lying broken against the far wall. Faculty, students... he recognized most of them. Worthless, useless, complete wastes of organic matter. They were so below him now. They stood before him, their jaws hanging open, their feeble brains couldn't comprehend what had happened.

"Ah!" he laughed. "the little people have come to see what happened? Well, let me say that your DOCTOR DEMONIKA is just fine." He savored the way the name rolled off his tongue. It sounded so right.

Just to see if he could, he swung his fist at the nearest person, a fat student who could easily sell the mineral rights to his face. The punch lifted the student off the floor with barely any effort, sending him sailing down the hall.

He laughed. It was a guttural deep primordial laugh that reeked of evil.

This was all too much for the small crowd, who picked that moment to run away as fast as they could, screaming in panic.

Behind him, Demonika heard another crash as no doubt a bit more of his former office broke apart. No loss. With this kind of power, he had better things to do that to worry about a silly desk, his silly job, or even his silly tenure.

He stalked down the hallways enjoying the panicked people parting the way in front of him. Nothing could stand in his way. Police and firemen were beginning to arrive, but he barely noticed. He sent them scattering like dust with hardly any exersion. He knew he was unstoppable and he reveled in it.

The moment he stepped outside, he stretched his wings to their full breadth and on instinct, took to the air, leaving behind the university, his former colleagues, his former life, and the silvery aircraft he failed to notice that was headed to where he'd just come.

The Freedom Flyer landed just outside the main science building of Porta Roma university. It was obvious they were in the right place, judging from the fire trucks, the police cars, and the general panic.

Mentor stepped out of the airship and surveyed the building and shook his head.

He looked at Alche-Miss and the Ant and announced "We are too late."

To be continued...